Method suitable for manufacturing radioactive materials into molten ingots in glove box

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the field of metal remelting, in particular to a method suitable for manufacturing radioactive materials into molten ingots in a glove box, the method is carried out through a preset device, the device comprises a melting assembly, a vacuumizing assembly, an ingot forming assembly and a conveying assembly, and the method comprises the following steps that S10, the radioactive materials are put into the melting assembly; s20, a vacuumizing assembly is started, and the melting assembly is vacuumized; s30, the melting assembly is heated, so that the radioactive materials in the melting assembly are converted into a molten state; s40, the radioactive materials in the molten state are poured into the ingot forming assembly; s50, the ingot forming assembly is cooled, so that the radioactive materials in the molten state are formed into ingots; and S60, the radioactive materials obtained in the step S50 are subjected to ingot forming and removed out of the glove box through a conveying assembly. Through casting in the glove box, radioactive substances can be prevented from being exposed in an operation environment, and the safety of operators is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this application relate to the field of metal remelting, and more particularly to a method for forming ingots from radioactive materials within a glove box. Background Technology

[0002] The statements herein are provided merely as background information in connection with this application and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Spent fuel refers to nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a reactor. Dry reprocessing is a chemical process that processes spent fuel in a non-aqueous medium to recover actinide elements such as uranium and plutonium and properly dispose of radioactive waste. It is a key link in the closed fuel cycle of fast reactors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A brief overview of this application is provided below to offer a basic understanding of certain aspects thereof. It should be understood that this overview is not an exhaustive summary of the application. It is not intended to identify key or essential parts of the application, nor is it intended to limit its scope. Its purpose is merely to present certain concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0005] Embodiments of this application provide a method for forming ingots from radioactive materials within a glove box. This method is performed using a predetermined apparatus, which includes a melting assembly, a vacuuming assembly, an ingot-forming assembly, and a conveying assembly. The method comprises the following steps: S10: Introducing radioactive material into the melting assembly; S20: Activating the vacuuming assembly to evacuate the melting assembly; S30: Heating the melting assembly to molten the radioactive material within it; S40: Pouring the molten radioactive material into the ingot-forming assembly; S50: Cooling the ingot-forming assembly to form ingots from the molten radioactive material; S60: Removing the radioactive material ingot obtained in step S50 from the glove box using the conveying assembly.

[0006] The method for making radioactive materials into ingots within a glove box provided in this application, by using a predetermined device to melt and cast the radioactive materials into ingots, can change the form of the radioactive materials, facilitating further recycling of the radioactive materials. Moreover, melting and casting within a glove box can prevent radioactive materials from being exposed to the environment accessible to operators, ensuring personnel safety. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To further illustrate the above and other advantages and features of this application, the specific embodiments of this application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings, together with the following detailed description, are included in and form a part of this specification. Elements having the same function and structure are indicated by the same reference numerals. It should be understood that these drawings only depict typical examples of this application and should not be considered as limiting the scope of this application.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the assembly of the various components of an apparatus for producing ingots from radioactive materials inside a glove box, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a bottom view of an apparatus for forming ingots from radioactive materials inside a glove box, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus for making ingots from radioactive materials inside a glove box, provided in an embodiment of this application, which is installed inside a glove box.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the molten component housing provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0012] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the ingot forming assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0013] Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the bottom of the molten component provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0014] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the cover provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0015] Figure 8 This is a partial structural cross-sectional view of the discharge part and transition part provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0016] Figure 9 This is a partial structural diagram of the ingot provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0018] 10. Body; 11. Melting assembly support; 12. Ingot forming assembly support; 13. Body support;

[0019] 20. Melting assembly; 201. Cover; 202. Cover drive component; 203. Cover drive component fixing component; 204. Connecting component; 205. Cover pickup component; 21. Melting component; 211. Heating element; 212. Melting component fixing component; 213. Rotary mating component; 214. Rotary drive component; 22. Discharge component; 221. First end; 222. Second end; 23. Transition component; 231. Melt outlet; 232. First flange; 233. Second flange; 24. Shell; 25. On / off valve;

[0020] 30. Ingot forming assembly; 31. Ingot forming station; 32. Ingot forming component; 321. Two-part structure; 33. Rotary support component;

[0021] 40. Vacuum pumping assembly;

[0022] 50. Conveying components;

[0023] 60. Cooling assembly; 61. Coolant supply assembly; 62. Coolant circuit;

[0024] 100. Apparatus suitable for making ingots from radioactive materials in a glove box; 200. Glove box; 210. Operating port. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Exemplary embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity and brevity, not all features of actual implementations are described in the specification. However, it should be understood that many implementation-specific decisions must be made in the development of any such actual embodiment to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as complying with constraints related to the system and business, and these constraints may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, it should be understood that while development work can be very complex and time-consuming, such development work is merely a routine task for those skilled in the art who benefit from the content of this application.

[0026] It should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring this application with unnecessary details, only the equipment structure and / or processing steps closely related to the solution according to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings, while other details that are not closely related to this application are omitted.

[0027] The following disclosure provides several different implementations or examples for carrying out this application. To simplify the disclosure of this application, specific examples of components and methods are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit this application. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] Generally, after the nuclide obtained by electrolysis is scraped off the electrode, the nuclide raw material is in powder form. In order to facilitate subsequent recycling, the form of the raw material needs to be changed. The inventors of this application have discovered that forming the powdered nuclide raw material into ingots in a glove box can facilitate the transportation of the raw material, and casting in a glove box can reduce the radioactive risk during the operation.

[0029] Embodiments of this application provide a method for forming ingots from radioactive materials within a glove box, the method being performed using a predetermined apparatus. Figure 1 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the assembly of various components of an apparatus for producing ingots from radioactive materials inside a glove box, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the apparatus includes a melting component 20, a vacuuming component 40, an ingot forming component 30, and a conveying component 50, and includes the following steps: S10: Introducing radioactive material into the melting component 20; S20: Activating the vacuuming component 40 to evacuate the melting component 20; S30: Heating the melting component 20 to molten the radioactive material within it; S40: Pouring the molten radioactive material into the ingot forming component 30; S50: Cooling the ingot forming component 30 to form ingots from the molten radioactive material; S60: Removing the radioactive material ingots obtained in step S50 from the glove box 200 using the conveying component 50.

[0030] The method for making radioactive materials into ingots within a glove box provided in this application, by using a predetermined device to melt and cast the radioactive materials into ingots, can change the form of the radioactive materials, facilitating further recycling of the radioactive materials. Moreover, melting and casting within a glove box can prevent radioactive materials from being exposed to the environment accessible to operators, ensuring personnel safety.

[0031] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the molten assembly 20 includes a shell 24 and a cover 201. The shell 24 forms an opening, and the cover 201 is configured to close or open the opening. In step S10, the open state of the cover 201 is checked first. When it is confirmed that the cover 201 is in the open state, radioactive material is introduced into the molten assembly 20.

[0032] In some embodiments, checking the open and closed state of the cover 201 can determine the timing of the release of reflective materials, ensuring that radioactive materials are released when the cover 201 is open, and preventing radioactive materials from spilling onto the cover 201, causing waste and pollution.

[0033] Figure 5 This illustration shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an ingot forming assembly provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 5As shown, the ingot forming assembly 30 also includes a weighing device and an ingot forming component 32. The molten radioactive material is poured into the ingot forming component 32. The weighing device is configured to weigh the weight of the radioactive material poured into the ingot forming component 32. In step S40, when the radioactive material of the molten assembly is poured into the ingot forming component 32, the weight of the ingot forming component 32 is monitored in real time using the weighing device. The pouring is stopped after the weight reaches the predetermined weight.

[0034] In some embodiments, a weighing element may be disposed below the ingot 32 to weigh the ingot 32 and the molten radioactive material inside it, thereby monitoring the amount of molten radioactive material poured.

[0035] Figure 8 This illustration shows a partial structural cross-sectional view of the discharge member and transition member provided in embodiments of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the melting assembly 20 also includes an on / off valve 25 and a transition member 23. The on / off valve 25 is configured to be fixedly connected to the transition member 23 and to control the flow of the transition member 23.

[0036] In some embodiments, the transition member 23 is fixedly connected to the first end 221 of the discharge member 22, the second end 222 is inserted into the transition member 23, and the transition member 23 is fixedly connected to the downwardly extending portion of the housing 24 through the first flange 232. The position of the molten material outlet 231 formed by the transition member 23 is lower than the second end 222 of the discharge member 22, that is, the transition member 23 is completely fitted outside the discharge member 22. The on / off valve 25 is fixedly connected to the transition member 23 through the second flange 233. The transition member 23 set outside the discharge member 22 can provide a basis for the setting of the on / off valve 25, and the molten material outlet 231 is lower than the second end 222, providing space for the on / off valve 25 to realize the opening and closing control of the transition member 23, which facilitates the control of the fluid in the transition member 23 by the on / off valve 25. After the radioactive material poured into the ingot 32 reaches the predetermined weight, the on / off valve 25 controls the transition member 23 to close and suspend the pouring.

[0037] In some embodiments, the ingot forming assembly 30 further includes a weighing device and an ingot forming component 32. Molten radioactive material is poured into the ingot forming component 32. The weighing device is configured to weigh the weight of the radioactive material poured into the ingot forming component 32. The ingot forming component 32 has multiple ingot forming stations 31. In step S40, when the radioactive material of the molten assembly 20 is poured into the predetermined ingot forming station 31 of the ingot forming component 32, the weight of the ingot forming component 32 is monitored in real time using the weighing device. The pouring is stopped after the weight reaches the predetermined weight. The ingot forming component 32 is rotated to pour the radioactive material of the molten assembly 20 into the next ingot forming station 31 of the ingot forming component.

[0038] Figure 6This illustration shows a partial structural diagram of the bottom of a molten assembly provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the melting assembly 20 has a melt outlet 231 and the ingot forming assembly 30 has multiple ingot forming stations 31. The molten radioactive material flows out from the melt outlet 231 and into the ingot forming station 31. The position of the melt outlet 231 corresponds to one of the multiple ingot forming stations 31.

[0039] The size of the melt outlet 231 is matched with the size of the receiving inlet of the multiple ingot forming stations 31.

[0040] A portion of the ingot forming assembly 30 is configured to overlap with the melting assembly 20 in the vertical direction. The size of the molten material outlet 231 formed by the melting assembly 20 matches the size of the ingot forming station 31 on the ingot forming assembly 30. The sizes of the ingot forming stations 31 on the ingot forming assembly 30 are equal. Those skilled in the art can set the size of the ingot forming station 31 as needed and adjust the size of the molten material outlet 231 accordingly so that the molten material can accurately fall into the ingot forming station 31, preventing waste caused by material spillage.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the ingot forming assembly 30 also includes a rotating support 33 and a driving component. The ingot forming component 32 forms multiple ingot forming stations 31. The molten radioactive material flows out from the molten component 21 and into the multiple ingot forming stations 31. The rotating support 33 is configured to support the ingot forming component 32, and the driving component is configured to drive the rotating support 33 to rotate. The rotating support 33 is configured to drive the ingot forming component 32 to rotate.

[0042] In some embodiments, the rotating support 33 is configured as a disc, and the ingot forming parts 32 are evenly arranged circumferentially above the rotating support 33. When the amount of molten material received by the ingot forming station 31 reaches a predetermined amount, the driving member drives the rotating support 33 to rotate the ingot forming parts 32 around the axis, so that the position of the ingot forming station 31 in the ingot forming part 32 changes relative to the molten material outlet 231, so that the adjacent uncast ingot forming station 31 is aligned with the molten material outlet 231 for the next casting.

[0043] The weighing component is located below the driving component and is configured to determine the weight of the molten material flowing into the ingot forming unit 32. The weighing component monitors the weight of the molten material in the ingot forming unit 32. When the weight of the molten material in the ingot forming unit reaches a predetermined value, the driving component drives the rotating support component 33 to rotate the ingot forming unit 32, so that the adjacent uncast ingot forming station 31 is aligned with the molten material outlet 231 for the next casting. This can accurately control the weight of the molten material in each ingot forming station 31, so that the formed material can be of uniform size and prevent the molten material from being overcast in a single ingot forming unit, causing molten material to overflow and be wasted.

[0044] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a cooling assembly 60. In step S50, after all the ingot forming stations 31 have been cast, the cooling assembly 60 introduces coolant into the ingot forming assembly 30 to cool the ingot forming stations 31.

[0045] Figure 3 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing ingots from radioactive materials inside a glove box, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the molten assembly housing provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 3-5 As shown, the cooling assembly 60 includes a coolant supply 61 and a coolant circuit 62. The coolant supply 61 is disposed outside the glove box 200, and the coolant circuit 62 is disposed inside the glove box 200. The coolant supply 61 supplies coolant to the coolant circuit 62, and the coolant circuit 62 supplies coolant to the ingot forming assembly 30 to cool the ingot forming assembly 30 during the ingot forming process, and is configured to return the used coolant to the coolant supply 61 through the coolant circuit 62.

[0046] The coolant circuit 62 is connected to the coolant supply 61 and extends into the glove box 200, as in some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, a portion of the coolant circuit 62 is arranged along the axis of the ingot forming assembly 30, and other portions of the coolant circuit 62 extend horizontally to the bottom of the ingot forming member 32. The coolant provided by the coolant supply member 61 circulates to cool the molten material in the ingot forming station 31. The used coolant returns to the coolant supply member 61 through the coolant circuit 62 to achieve heat exchange and dilution, thereby ensuring that the ingot forming member 32 is continuously cooled and improving the ingot forming rate.

[0047] In some embodiments, a cooling gap exists inside the ingot forming assembly 30. The cooling gap forms a space for coolant flow around the ingot forming part 32. The coolant circuit 62 provides coolant to the cooling gap so that the ingot forming part 32 is cooled.

[0048] In some embodiments, the rotating support 33 is configured to have a predetermined thickness in the vertical direction, and the space within the predetermined thickness is a hollow disk shape. Uniformly distributed grooves are formed on the circumferential upper part of the rotating support 33 to accommodate the ingot 32. The ingot 32 is configured as a cylindrical container with an open top. The outer diameter of the ingot 32 is set slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the groove, facilitating the detachment of the ingot 32 from the rotating support and preventing the ingot 32 from being too tightly engaged with the groove, thus affecting the transfer of the product ingot.

[0049] In some embodiments, the depth of the ingot forming station 31 within the ingot forming component 32 is greater than the depth of the groove, so that the upper opening of the ingot forming component 32 can be higher than a predetermined distance above the groove, leaving space for gripping, so that the operator can take out the ingot forming component 32 from the groove of the rotating support component 33 through the operating hole 210.

[0050] In some embodiments, the sidewall opening edge of the ingot 32 extends radially away from the center to form an eave of predetermined width, preventing the ingot 32 from slipping from its free end during the process of the operator picking it up from the operating hole 210. Simultaneously, the bottom of the ingot 32 contacts the bottom of the tank, and the coolant circuit 62 introduces coolant into the hollow disc-shaped space within the rotating support 33. This allows for effective heat exchange in the ingot 32, reduces the impact of air gaps on heat exchange and cooling, improves the heat transfer coefficient, and increases cooling efficiency. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 3 As shown, in step S60, after the ingot is formed, the operator transfers the ingot from the ingot forming station 31 to the conveying assembly 50 through the operating hole 210 of the glove box 200, and removes the radioactive material ingot obtained by the conveying assembly 50 from the glove box 200.

[0051] The ingot is positioned at the operation port 210 of the glove box 200 so that the operator can transfer the ingot from the ingot assembly 30 to the conveying assembly 50 through the operation port 210.

[0052] Positioning the conveying assembly 50 close to the operating hole 210 allows operators to easily remove the demolded uranium ingot from the ingot forming assembly 30 and place it on the conveying assembly 50, reducing the distance the operator needs to reach into the glove box 200, lowering operational risks, and improving operational efficiency.

[0053] In some embodiments, in step S30, different heating temperatures are set according to different stages of melting to improve the refining purity of the molten radioactive material.

[0054] The heating temperature during the melting stage is the first temperature, the heating temperature during the refining stage is the second temperature, and the heating temperature during the casting stage is the third temperature. The second temperature is lower than the first temperature, and the third temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature.

[0055] Because the melting stage requires melting powdered radioactive materials into liquid melt, a high temperature is needed to completely melt the materials. After melting, the melt is refined to remove impurities. In the casting stage, the melt needs to be continuously heated to prevent it from cooling down and becoming less fluid, thus affecting the casting effect.

[0056] In some embodiments, step S40 further includes the following steps: S41: collecting exhaust gas discharged by the collection device; S42: determining to stop heating based on the exhaust gas.

[0057] In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 for forming ingots from radioactive materials in a glove box is further provided with a tail gas analysis system. The tail gas analysis system is used to collect tail gas generated during the smelting process and monitor the composition of the tail gas. When the composition of the tail gas reaches a predetermined index, the heating of the molten material is stopped.

[0058] Figure 2 This illustration shows a bottom view of an apparatus for forming ingots from radioactive materials within a glove box, as provided in embodiments of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the body 10 includes a melting component support 11, an ingot forming component support 12, and a body support 13. The body support 13 is disposed between the melting component support 11 and the ingot forming component support 12. The melting component support 11, the ingot forming component support 12, and the body support 13 form a double-layer space. The melting component 20 and the ingot forming component 30 are respectively located in one of the double-layer spaces. The melting component 20 is fixedly connected to the melting component support 11, and the ingot forming component 30 is fixedly connected to the ingot forming component support 12. The conveying component 50 is fixedly connected to the ingot forming component support 12 and is arranged side by side with the body support 13.

[0059] The melting component support 11, the ingot forming component support 12, and the main body support 13 form a double-layered frame structure. The melting component 20 is located in the upper open space of the double-layered space, which facilitates the feeding of materials into the melting component 20 from above. The ingot forming component 30 is located in the lower space of the double-layered space, and a part of the ingot forming component 30 is inside the lower space and overlaps with the melting component 20 in the vertical direction, so as to ensure that the molten material in the melting component 20 can fall freely into the ingot forming component 30.

[0060] Furthermore, the arrangement of the supporting components of the main body 10 to form a double-layer space allows the melting component to be placed above the ingot forming component 30, thereby realizing the layout from melting to ingot forming in the vertical direction, saving the layout space in the horizontal direction, and allowing sufficient space inside the glove box 200 for the device to be made into ingots.

[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the conveying assembly 50 is arranged side by side with the main support 13 instead of extending directly from inside the frame of the main body 10, and the remaining part of the ingot forming assembly 30 extends towards the operating hole 210 on the side of the glove box 200 to the lower space. This arrangement is to facilitate the conveying assembly 50 and the ingot forming assembly 30 to be close to the operating hole 210, so that the operator can easily take out the formed uranium ingot from the ingot forming assembly 30 through the operating hole 210 and place it on the conveying assembly 50, so that the uranium ingot is transferred to the next process. If the conveying assembly 50 is set to extend from the middle of the frame inside the main body 10 to the material outlet of the glove box 200, the conveying assembly 50 will be far away from the operating hole 210, which will create an obstacle for the operator to transfer the uranium ingot.

[0062] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the melting assembly 20 includes a melting element 21, a discharge element 22, and a transition element 23. Radioactive material is input into the melting element 21, where it is transformed into a molten state. The discharge element 22 has a first end 221 and a second end 222. The diameter of the second end 222 is smaller than the diameter of the first end 221. The first end 221 and the second end 222 are in fluid communication. The first end 221 is in fluid communication with the melting element 21. Molten radioactive material flows into the first end 221 and flows out from the second end 222. The second end 222 can be inserted into the transition element 23, which forms a melt outlet 231.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the interior of the housing 24 contains a melting element 21 for melting materials, and heating elements 211 are symmetrically arranged on the outer side of the melting element 21 to provide heat to the melting materials. The melting assembly 20 also includes a rotating fitting 213 and a rotating drive 214. The rotating fitting 213 is fixedly connected to the housing 24 and the melting element 21, respectively. The rotating drive 214 drives the rotating fitting 213 to move, and the rotating fitting 213 drives the melting element 21 to rotate. The rotating drive 214 is fixedly arranged inside the housing 24.

[0064] In some embodiments, the two ends of the rotating mating member 213 are fixedly connected to the housing 24 and the molten member 21, respectively. The rotating drive member 214 is disposed at the end of the rotating mating member 213 near the housing 24. The rotating drive member 214 drives the end of the rotating mating member 213 near the molten member 21 to rotate, thereby driving the molten member 21 to rotate. After the material in the molten member 21 has finished melting, the rotating member causes the molten member 21 to rotate. The rotated molten member 21 is in fluid communication with the first end 221 of the discharge member 22, so that the molten material can flow out of the melting component naturally. The diameter of the second end 222 of the discharge member 22 is smaller than the diameter of the first end 221. That is, in some embodiments, the discharge member 22 is funnel-shaped, so that the liquid melt can be collected into a finer bundle and poured into the ingot forming station 31, preventing the opening from being too large and causing a waterfall or spillage outside the ingot forming station 31.

[0065] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the molten assembly 20 also includes a rotating mating part 213 and a rotating drive part 214. The rotating mating part 213 is fixedly connected to the housing 24 and the molten part 21 respectively. The rotating drive part 214 drives the rotating mating part 213 to move, and the rotating mating part 213 drives the molten part 21 to rotate. The rotating drive part 214 is fixedly installed inside the housing 24.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the melting assembly 20 includes a housing 24, a melting element 21 disposed inside the housing 24, the housing 24 being fixedly connected to the melting assembly support 11, and the housing 24 forming an opening through which radioactive material enters the melting element 21. A vacuum assembly 40 evacuates the housing 24. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the fusion assembly 20 also includes a cover 201, which is configured to automatically open and close and seal with the housing 24.

[0067] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the molten component support 11 is fixedly connected to the lower part of the shell 24, and the molten component support 11 is symmetrically arranged at both ends of the lower part of the shell 24 to maintain the stability of the entire molten component 20. An opening is formed at the upper part of the shell 24 for feeding material into the molten component 21 inside the shell 24 through the opening. After the material is fed in, the shell 24 is sealed by the cover 201, and the vacuum assembly 40 is used to evacuate the inside of the shell 24 to remove gaseous impurities inside the shell 24, preventing the uranium raw material from reacting with air after heating, which would reduce the purity of the raw material.

[0068] Figure 7 This illustration shows a partial structural diagram of the cover provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 7As shown, the melting assembly 20 also includes a cover drive member 202, a cover drive member fixing member 203, a connector 204, and a cover pickup member 205. The cover drive member fixing member 203 is disposed outside the housing 24 and is fixedly connected to the housing 24. The connector 204 is fixedly connected to the cover drive member 202 and the cover pickup member 205 respectively. The cover pickup member 205 is configured to pick up the cover 201. The cover drive member 202 is configured to extend and retract along a predetermined direction, so that it can drive the connector 204 to move. The connector 204 drives the cover pickup member 205 to move, and the cover pickup member 205 drives the cover 201 to move, so that the cover 201 closes or opens the opening.

[0069] The cover 201 is positioned in the middle of the cover pickup 205, so that the cover 201 can match the opening of the housing in the circumferential direction. The cover drive 202 drives the connector 204 and the cover pickup 205 to move, so that the cover 201 can move in the axial and vertical directions of the housing 24, so that the cover 201 can open and close the opening.

[0070] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the molten component 20 also includes a molten element fixing member 212, which is disposed inside the housing 24 and rotatably fixes the molten element 21 inside the housing 24.

[0071] In some embodiments, the molten element fixing member 212 fixes the molten element 21 to the housing 24, enabling the molten element 21 to be placed inside the cavity of the housing 24, so that the molten element 21 has enough space to flip over, and avoids the molten element 21 from touching the wall of the housing 24 during the flipping process, thereby preventing an accident.

[0072] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the portion of the molten part fixing member 212 that mates with the housing 24 is formed to match the internal shape of the housing 24, and the portion of the molten part fixing member 212 that mates with the molten part 21 is formed to match the shape of the molten part 21.

[0073] In some embodiments, the housing 24 is configured as a cylinder with its circumferential sidewalls placed horizontally. The molten element fixing members 212 are symmetrically arranged at the middle of the circumferential sidewalls of the housing 24, and the line connecting the molten element fixing members 212 is parallel to the horizontal plane. The portions of the molten element fixing members 212 adjacent to the molten element 21 and the housing 24 are respectively configured in shapes adapted to their respective shapes. In some embodiments, when the housing 24 is a cylinder, the portion of the molten element fixing member 212 that mates with the inner wall of the housing 24 is configured as an arc with a radius smaller than the cross-sectional radius of the housing 24, so that the molten element fixing member does not contact the inner wall of the housing 24 when it flips with the molten element 21. In other embodiments, when the molten element 21 is a cylinder, the portion of the molten element fixing member 212 that mates with the sidewall of the molten element 21 is configured as a straight line parallel to the axial direction of the molten element 21, so that the molten element fixing member 212 can be tightly fitted and fixed together with the molten element 21, ensuring that the molten element 21 and the molten element fixing member 212 can flip together.

[0074] Figure 9 This illustration shows a partial structural diagram of a spindle provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the ingot 32 includes a two-lobed structure 321, with a micropore formed in the middle of the two-lobed structure 321, and the two-lobed structure 321 is fixedly mounted on the rotating support 33.

[0075] In some embodiments, the ingot 32 is configured as a two-part structure 321 instead of a one-piece groove structure. The two-part structure 321 forms a slit with micropores at the bottom of the ingot 32, allowing air bubbles carried during the casting process to be discharged from the micropores during cooling, preventing air bubbles from being present inside the ingot after it is formed. The micropores at the bottom of the ingot 32 also prevent the formation of a vacuum between the molten ingot and the ingot 32, balancing the pressure inside and outside the ingot 32. In some embodiments, the radioactive material is uranium, and the thermodynamic and physical properties of the uranium ingot metal and the mold metal formed by casting are quite different. The two-part design combined with water cooling can effectively ensure the demolding of the uranium ingot and improve the casting efficiency.

[0076] Regarding the embodiments of this application, it should also be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments of this application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0077] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. The scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing an ingot from radioactive material in a glove box, characterized in that, The method is performed by a predetermined device, which comprises a melting assembly, a vacuumizing assembly, an ingotting assembly and a conveying assembly, and comprises the following steps: S10: radioactive material is put into the melting assembly; S20: the vacuumizing assembly is started to vacuumize the melting assembly; S30: the melting assembly is heated to change the radioactive material in the melting assembly into a molten state; S40: the radioactive material in the molten state is poured into the ingotting assembly; S50: the ingotting assembly is cooled to form the radioactive material in the molten state into an ingot; S60: the ingot of the radioactive material obtained in S50 is removed from the glove box by the conveying assembly.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein wherein the melting assembly comprises a housing and a cover, the housing forms an opening, and the cover is arranged to be capable of closing or opening the opening, in S10, the open state of the cover is checked first, and the radioactive material is put into the melting assembly after confirming that the cover is in the open state.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein wherein, the ingotting assembly further comprises a weighing member and an ingotting member, the radioactive material in the molten state is poured into the ingotting member, and the weighing member is arranged to be capable of weighing the weight of the radioactive material poured into the ingotting member, in S40, the weight of the ingotting member is monitored in real time by the weighing member when the radioactive material of the melting assembly is poured into the ingotting member, and the pouring is stopped after the weight reaches a predetermined weight.

4. The method of claim 1, characterized in that wherein the ingotting assembly further comprises a weighing member and an ingotting member, the radioactive material in the molten state is poured into the ingotting member, and the weighing member is arranged to be capable of weighing the weight of the radioactive material poured into the ingotting member, and the ingotting member has a plurality of ingotting stations, in S40, the weight of the ingotting member is monitored in real time by the weighing member when the radioactive material of the melting assembly is poured into a predetermined ingotting station of the ingotting member, and the pouring is stopped after the weight reaches a predetermined weight; the ingotting member is rotated to pour the radioactive material of the melting assembly into the next ingotting station of the ingotting member.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the device further comprises a cooling assembly, in S50, the cooling assembly inputs cooling liquid into the ingotting assembly after the pouring is completed in all the ingotting stations, and the cooling liquid is used to cool the ingotting stations.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein in S60, after the ingotting is completed, the operator transfers the ingot from the ingotting station to the conveying assembly through the operation hole of the glove box, and the ingot of the radioactive material obtained by the conveying assembly is removed from the glove box.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in S30, different heating temperatures are set according to different stages of melting to improve the refining purity of the molten radioactive material.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein wherein, the heating temperature at the melting stage is a first temperature, the heating temperature at the refining stage is a second temperature, and the heating temperature at the pouring stage is a third temperature, the second temperature is less than the first temperature, and the third temperature is less than a predetermined temperature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein In the step S40, further comprising the following steps: S41: collecting tail gas discharged by the device; S42: determining to stop heating according to the tail gas.

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